The Giant Who Came to Beach City
by InsomniacFlaaffy
Summary: Steven is far from a normal kid and Russel is far from a normal adult. When they met one another, Russel is a bit abrasive and distant but soon warms up to the boy and a kinship is formed. But when problems arise, Steven is unsure how to fix them, both Human and Gem ways. Has Steven Universe met his match with the demons and spirits that plague this man's mind and soul?
1. Ocean Bacon

_Ocean…Bacon_

_Ocean Bacon…_

Those two words. Two simple words that were heavier than life itself. They were the weight on his broad shoulders. Hands that grasped at his skin, leaving scratches and bruises in its wake. The demons that attacked him every waking moment of his poor excuse for a life. When he wrote that suicide note, he knew no one was going to find it and come running after him. There was no band to go back to. No studio to call home. There was nothing left for him. He went to the only place that would welcome him in its cold, watery embrace: the ocean itself. His footsteps were thunder, causing the wooden dock to crack and splinter underneath him. His anger was lightning, shocking the two fishermen who occupied the end of the pier. He launched himself off the dock without a second thought to the action. The freezing, dark waters rushed pass him as he went head first into the ocean. He cared less about the temperature and swam ahead, paddling into the great unknown with reckless abandon. Only two words hung onto him as he went forward, dragging him down deeper into the shadowy depths.

_Ocean Bacon…_

_Ocean Bacon…_

"Ocean Bacon!" Steven exclaimed when he noticed the familiar blue packaging in the meat section of the supermarket. The packaging had a cartoonish sailor jellyfish on its label. "The tasty meat that even whales can eat!" The boy sung the product's television jingle as he grabbed several large packages and held them in his arms. He was lucky that this supermarket sold Ocean Bacon since this was the only big supermarket in Beach City, other than the farmer's markets. Nothing classy and expensive like the stores in Empire City.

It was shopping day for the Universe household, but Greg was too busy with the car wash to go shopping at a reasonable time. Now, the task of filling up the house's cabinets fell upon Steven and the Gems. Garnet stayed behind at the temple to make sure that everything was secured just in case a corrupted Gem monster showed up or escaped. This shopping trip consisted only of Steven, Pearl, and Amethyst this time around. While Pearl acted as the responsible person of the group and the one in charge of the list, Amethyst tagged along because buying food sounded better than being lazy around the temple.

Steven saw Pearl pushing the half full shopping cart, turning into the cold foods aisle that he was in. He ran up to the cart and dumped his findings with the rest of the food. "Bacon incoming!" Steven announced then hung on the metal cart playfully. "You could say I really _get the bacon. _Eh, eh?" The boy made a silly face while he shot finger guns at Pearl.

"Hah!" Amethyst laughed as she laid leisurely on the cart's bottom rack and raised a thumbs up. "Nice one Ste-Man!"

Pearl rolled her eyes and let a sigh fall out her mouth at the boy's pun. She marked on the small piece of paper with pen she held in her hand. "Good," she said with a soft smile. "Can't have a good breakfast without a source of protein!" Pearl placed a hand on Steven's head and ruffled his curly hair. "A good diet is essential for a growing boy's health."

Steven chuckled and pushed her hand away playfully. "Yep, that's me. What else is on the list, Pearl?" he asked trying to peek up at the list on his tiptoes.

The slender Gem tapped her pen on the paper. "Well, we need to buy food for Lion, and I need to find a certain tea I've been having my eye on for a while now." She leaned down to the bottom of the cart. "Now Amethyst," she said. "You may get two items you want from this store. Only two, mind you."

The purple Gem's eyes widened and grew starry. "Really?! Suh-weet!" She scrambled out from under the cart and ran off in the opposite direction.

"Wow, Pearl, that was nice of you," Steven commented as he watched Amethyst disappear out of sight.

"Might as well keep her happy or she'll eat all the groceries if we don't get her something also," Pearl replied, pushing the cart down another aisle. "What would be the point of this trip if Amethyst eats it all in one sitting. Plus, Greg didn't give us a budget this time."

"Yeah, since he's now a millionaire," Steven added, remembering the reaction his dad made with he held that large check in his hands. He was happy that all the money didn't go to his dad's head and he still worked his job.

Amethyst slid around the corner with a tub of Cheeze Balls taller than herself hauled on her back. She ran up to Pearl and Steven and slammed the entire tub inside the cart. "This counts as one!" she shouted with the biggest grin on her round face. Amethyst ran off again to get her second item as she giggled like a giddy child.

"And here comes the headache…" Pearl muttered under her breath and shook her head. She returned the list and pen into her forehead gem and started to walk towards the front of the store.

Steven hopped off from the shopping cart and went for the cat food aisle. His eyes scanned the different types of cat food before settling on a certain brand. He knew Lion preferred wet food over dry food so Steven gathered as many Yum-Yum Kitty Bits tins he could hold in his arms. He would have grabbed every can of that product off the shelf if his arms weren't so short. Lion could devour ten cans in one go. Steven carefully carried the cat food to the front of the store in the direction he saw Pearl go.

Catching up with Pearl and Amethyst at the register, Steven dumped the tin cans on the conveyor belt with the rest of the groceries. He nabbed a chocolate bar and slapped it down with the rest, thinking about how he deserved something too. Being a member of the Crystal Gems was hard work that deserved a reward.

Pearl retrieved the money and reusable bags from her gem and paid the cashier in exact change as the cashier rang up their items. "Please use this, if you may," she said as she handed the bagger the green bags. "I can't believe how humans can use plastic bags indiscriminately and throw them away anywhere! Do you know what that does to the environment?"

Amethyst took the bagged groceries and stretched out her arms to hold all the bags handles at once. It made Steven laugh a little. He took the bag with all the cat food and fished out his chocolate from its depths. Done with their business, the three passed through the double automatic doors with their haul and made their way to the car.

It was mid-afternoon on the cloudless day in Beach City. Steven turned his head to the sky, blocking out the sun with a hand. Summer was in full swing and school was out so he could go see Connie as much as he wanted. Even the Crystal Gems put a halt in his studies because they wanted him to spend more time with his friends.

With the bags loaded into the trunk, Steven got in to the front seat and immediately went on his phone. He unwrapped his chocolate bar and stuffed the corner into his mouth. He scrolled through his text messages with his thumb. There was a new message from Connie, and he opened the message quickly.

"_Jam session today_?" the message read.

Steven smiled wide and started tapping away at his screen. "_Of course! Wouldn't want to miss one of those for the world! I bring the snacks_?" he replied and hit send. Connie answered in an instant.

"_I'll hold you to it, Steven :)_" she said.

Pearl slid into the drivers' seat and Amethyst flopped across the seats in the back. The car pulled away from the store and onto the semi-busy road. Steven switched on the radio and let his eyes wandered to the world that passed him by outside the clean window. Today was a normal day. Well, a normal day for him. But there was this nagging feeling that something was going to happen in the near future. Call it a hunch, Steven thought, always something happened in Beach City. Maybe he would talk to Connie about it. She seemed to know the logic in many situations and was usually the one with the clear head in their relationship. Or maybe Garnet would be the best person to talk to? She could see into the future, after all. Steven put both of options in consideration.

Steven let out a sigh and leaned his arm on the car door's arm rest, following the power lines as they went by. Perhaps, he was just worrying too much as always.


	2. What Does the Future Hold for Me?

"Garnet, we're back!" Steven announced as he, Pearl, and Amethyst passed through the threshold of the beach home. The screen door closed behind them and the two Gems set the groceries on the island counter. Garnet was upstairs in Steven's loft area, watching black and white movies about cowboys.

"Hey Steven," the magenta Gem said in her usual impassive voice as she peered down to the lower part of the house. She then returned to watching her movie while she laid on top of the boy's bed. Steven ran up the stairs and leapt at Garnet with her back turned. Yet, the taller Gem hopped into the sitting position and caught him in her arms.

"Aww," Steven whined as he flailed his arms and legs about. "I thought I finally got you this time. I can never beat your future vision, Garnet." Steven could only stare at the reflection of himself in Garnet's pink tinted shades. He never knew what was going on in the Gem's mind if he couldn't see her eyes.

Garnet set Steven in her lap and wrapped her arms around the boy's midsection. "Maybe one day you will, Steven," she said and leaned over to Steven's left side. "Who knows what the future has in store for all of us." Garnet lowered the top of her shades and winked at him with her third eye.

Steven couldn't help but to chuckle and smile at the gesture. Her just saying that made him feel hopeful. Then he remembered about the question he had in the car. He didn't want to forget again or when Garnet was out on an important mission. "Hey Garnet," Steven called her name, turning around in her lap. "I've been feeling like something will happen ever since we left the supermarket. Do you think you can use your future vision to see if anything will happen?"

"I don't see any harm in that," replied Garnet. She fixed her shades on her face and went quiet for a minute, staring out the window by his bed. Steven waited patiently with a smile on his round face. He knew all about how the future was like a big river with splitting paths. All those scenarios would overload his head if he had Garnet's powers. It made Steven wonder how the Gem could deal with it all at once.

"Well, that's was interesting to say the least," Garnet said to herself.

"What did you see, Garnet?" Steven asked, bouncing excitedly in the Gem's arms. "Was it something cool Oh! Was it about me? Did I save the day during a super-secret mission?" He beamed with his hands on his hips.

"Can't say," said Garnet as an amused smirk appeared on her face. She stood up and sat Steven down on the bed. "Might ruin the surprise of it all for you."

"What surprise?" He asked, starry eyes but Garnet didn't answer and started walking down the stairs. "Wait, Garnet! You got to tell me what this surprise is!" Steven followed the taller Gem, but she was already at the temple's warp pad. She passed the crystal-clear warp pad and stood in front of the temple door. The red and blue gems on the door glowed and it opened from the middle, revealing a large, magenta room beyond the temple's boundaries. Steven sprinted towards Garnet, yet she was faster than him. She entered the room and the door closed behind her, just as Steven tripped over his own feet and fell face first on the floor.

"Garnet gave the work-around again, huh, Steven?" Amethyst said, stuffing her mouth with her rightfully earned Cheeze Balls. She sat on the kitchen counter as Pearl put the rest of their shopping away. The purple Gem's fingers and mouth were covered in orange cheese dust which she licked vigorously.

Steven climbed to his feet with a groan and made his way back to the kitchen. He stopped next to Amethyst and pulled himself up onto a stool. "Yeah," the boy answered with a sigh. "I don't get it. Why can't Garnet just tell me what will happen in the future?"

"Steven, you know Garnet can be a little uh," Pearl said, returning the reuseable bags into the safety of her gem. "Eccentric when it comes to her ability to predict the future. Especially when it comes to your future."

"Yeah man," Amethyst added. "I think she just want to keep you on your toes. Think of it like Gem training. If you don't train, you'll get all rusty." She shoveled another hand of food in her mouth and continued, "So don't sweat it too much. Just go with the flow, yeah?"

"I guess you guys are right," Steven admitted. "Plus, who knows what this surprise could be. It could be almost anything!" He gasped, "It could be spoilers for the newest Dogcopter movie…" Steven said in a whisper.

"I don't think it would be that, Steven," Pearl rejected.

His cellphone vibrated and Steven pulled it out from his pant pocket. It was then when he remembered he set an alarm a few minutes before his and Connie's weekly jam session. And he was about to be late for it. "Oh my gosh!" The boy exclaimed as he ran to get a picnic basket from underneath the sink. His started filling the basket quickly with fruit, different kind of bagged snacks, and juice boxes. Steven grabbed his trusted ukulele and old keyboard, stuffing both into the large pockets of his Cheeseburger backpack.

"I'm going out to hang with Connie," Steven said with haste, "See you guys later!" and he rushed out of the door with the bag slung on his shoulder and the basket in hand. The wooden screen door slammed shit behind him.

"Have fun, Steven!" Pearl called after him.

"See ya!" Amethyst said through a mouthful of food.

"There's my favorite lion," Steven cooed at the large, pink male lion who was snoozing on his porch. Lion opened his eyes at the boy then yawned, stretching out his body and curling up once again. "How about you take me to our usual spot so we can see Connie? I know you've grown to like her."

Lion huffed through his nose and turned his head away.

"Aww, come on, Lion," he whined. "It's such a long walk up there and I got your favorite…" Steven dug through the picnic basket and took a family sized bag of Cheesy Curls, raising it to show the big cat. He gave the bag a good shake.

The rattling of the content in the bag grabbed Lion's attention. He lifted his head then stood on his four feet, starting intensely at the bag in the boy's hand.

Steven laughed, "I knew you couldn't resist the flavor of Cheesy Curls," and placed the bag back in the basket.

Lion lowered himself to the floor and gave the boy a side-eye glance. Steven saw the big cat's invitation and climbed upon Lion's back, holding on tight to Lion's fluffy, pink mane. Immediately, Lion leapt from the porch with feline grace, landing on the sandy ground below front paws first. He broke out into a fast sprint in an instance, turning the corner around the fallen statue parts and headed in the direction of the city. When the sand changed into asphalt, Lion took another turn and began to scale the massive hill that overlooked the city. The big cat's running slowed down to a brisk walk the closer he came to the white lighthouse at the hill's peak. Lion sat down in the middle of the wide field, causing Steven to fall back into the grass with a grunt.

Laughing, Steven picked himself up and ruffled the grass out of his hair. "Thanks Lion," he said and retrieved the bag of Cheesy Curls. The bag crinkled when he opened it and Lion turned his head to the new sound. His snout buried deep into the bag's opening, pulling it out of Steven's hands. All his attention was now focused on chowing down on the snack as he laid down nearby. Steven looked around and saw no sign of Connie. He let out a sigh of relief; he made it just in time.

Steven spread out a checkered pattern blanket across the leveled ground. Sitting down, he took out his ukulele from his backpack and began tuning it. With each strum of a string, he absently let his mind wander on his thoughts. What was that surprise Garnet talked about? What did she see in his future? It made Steven excited which caused him to start humming a random tune.

His round fingers plucked at the instrument's taut strings with confidence. Music and the squawks of seagulls gliding overhead filled his ears and the general area. The sound of his ukulele always brought comfort to the slight unsureness in his head. Yes, something was going to happen in the future, with everyone after him for his mother's actions. But Steven wasn't going to let that scare him too much. Plus, Garnet didn't seem worried for his safety.

The sound of a bike bell ringing had Steven pause in his strumming and humming. He saw Connie pedaling up the hill on her bicycle, straining against the upward climb of the incline. An instant smile appeared on his face and stood up, setting his ukulele down. Steven ran over to the girl with excitement.

"Hey Steven!" Connie greeted with a gentle smile. She dismounted from her bike and planted the kickstand on the ground. "Sorry I'm late. My mom insisted I help her dust off her glass elephant collection," she said, rolling her eyes and let out an annoyed sigh. "And we would have gotten done faster if my mom used a handheld duster instead of dusting her figurines one by one with a clean cloth."

"That must have been hard work," Steven commented, and the two preteens walked together towards the blanket. "Why does you mom collect glass elephants anyway? Won't they break easily?"

They both took a seat across one another. Connie pulled her violin case by its strap over her head and set it down. "Yeah," she answered, opened the brass clasps, and lifted its top. "But she takes good care of them and is very protective of them. I'm not allowed to go near them. They were passed down to her from my grandmother."

"Sounds like they're really important," he said. His mind sidetracked to his own family. It was obvious that his mom had no parents of her own and his dad never mentioned his side of the family or his parents. He would have to ask his dad about that later. He was envious of Connie and her normal family life.

"Yeah," Connie said with a shrug of her shoulders. "Though collecting glass figurines isn't really one of my hobbies." She perked and smiled wide. "But enough about my boring life. What about you, Steven? How was your day? Go on any cool Gem missions?"

"Nah," Steven responded. "Today was grocery day so me, Pearl, and Amethyst went shopping. You could call that a cool human mission for food," He chuckled to himself.

Connie's eyebrows furrowed. "Any sign of Jasper or Lapis?" she asked. "No dreams about them?"

Steven shook his head. "Not lately. Not after the first few dreams I have had." he said, frowning and lowering his head.

Connie placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Steven. I know you and the Gems will find them," she reassured.

He lifted his head to see her comforting smile and that look in her brown eyes which told him that everything would be okay. Then he remembered what he was going to ask her in person.

"Hey Connie," Steven said, strumming idly on his ukulele. "Have you ever felt that something will happen in the future that was out of your control?"

"Well, sure I have," she answered matter-of-factly. "Everyone feels that way sometimes. I know I get like that when I'm waiting for the results for a big test or if I get average grades on my progress report." She removed her violin and bow from its case. "But I know you have so much that could happen to your future. With Lapis, the Cluster, and learning more about your mom; I would worry too. Have you asked Garnet to use her future vision to help you?"

Steven replied, "Yeah but she wasn't very helpful. She said that if she told me, it would 'ruin the surprise'."

"Surprise? What does that mean?"

He threw his hands into the air, dropping his ukulele. "I don't know! It could mean anything!" he said, exasperated. He then lowered his arms and picked up his ukulele again. Suddenly, he had a song in his heart for this situation. He strummed the instrument and sung what was on his mind.

_What does the future hold for me_

_What does the future hold for me_

_Will I be the hero, saving the day_

_Or will I just get lose on the way_

_I won't be afraid of what comes next_

_I might be put to the test_

_So what does the future hold for me_

_Maybe I just have to wait and see_

Connie lifted her violin, placed it under her chin, pressed the bow against the strings, and began to play along. She sang along with him.

_What does the future hold for you_

_What does the future hold for you_

_I know I will be by your side_

_We can face this together in strides_

_No matter what happens in the end_

_You will always be my friend_

_So what does the future hold for you_

_I'm sure we can make it come true_

As their song ended, Connie and Steven burst out laughing.

"I don't know about you," Steven said, grabbing for the picnic basket. "But singing sure does work up an appetite." He took out a bag of Chaps and handed Connie a bag of dried fruit.

Connie chuckled, taking the bag. "Certainly," she said. "A healthy snack can help reenergize you for even more singing and playing."

Steven dug through the Chaps bag and stuffed his face with the salty potato chips. He removed the keyboard from his backpack and set it down at his feet. "Then what are we waiting for?" he said with enthusiasm. "Let's makes so more music!"

Steven and Connie's jam sessions went on into the early evening when the sky began to turn orange and the air started to cool. The streetlamps switched on in the city below, some shops on the boardwalk closed their doors for the night, and the amusement park shut down its rides. Their instruments and picnic area were packed away and trash left behind was thrown away. They said their goodbyes and Connie mounted her bike, pushed off, and rode into the evening. Lion was waiting for him, batting the empty snack bag between in front paws.

"Let's go home, Lion," Steven said, picking up the bag and shoving it in his backpack. "Time to get some much need sleep."

The pair walked down the hill side by side quietly into the ever-growing night.

When Steven returned home, all the lights were out and there was no sign of the Gems. The door creaked open when he pushed it and let Lion pass him by. He flicked the light switch near the door and yellow light illuminated the whole house. His eyes swept over the area for a moment as he moved further inside. The door closed behind him. His keyboard and backpack were stored in the closet while he laid his ukulele on the couch as he went by. He entered the kitchen, emptied out the picnic basket, and stored it in a cabinet. Steven's stomach growled; those snacks didn't really satisfy his hungry.

He opened the refrigerator. "What to eat, what to eat," he said, tapping his chin as looked at all the food. He chose an unopened container of macaroni and cheese, a fan favorite, from the top shelf and closed the door with his foot.

Steven set the container in the microwave and turned it on. As it rotated slowly inside, he looked over towards the temple's door as if he was expecting someone to come out.

The Gems never had dinner with him like a normal family, leaving him to his own devices at night. It was lonely sometimes, but he couldn't blame the Gems for that. They barely knew a single thing about the correct ways of human culture. _But they tried their best_, he thought to himself. Well, as best as alien lifeforms could do with raising a human child, that is. Steven turned his head to glance over his shoulder to look at the canvas painting of his late mother hanging high on the wall. He always wandered back to thinking about what his mother would do in situations like this. Before he could think about the subject further, the microwave beeped several times. His food was ready.

Grabbing a fork, he took the bowl out and sat on a stool at the kitchen island. As he ate, Steven focused on the ocean outside of his home through the wide window. The full moon was rising over the watery horizon, reflecting white light off the rippling, dark blue surface. It made a beautiful scene of the beach that he had the pleasure of seeing every night. He wished he could share this moment with someone. Steven looked down at his half empty bowl and sighed, feeling his usual cheery mood drop. Loneliness tugged on his heart strings as he chewed his food. Sometimes, he wished he had a normal family like Connie had. At times, he would imagine what it would be like. Though he did enjoy learning new things as a Crystal Gem.

Finishing his small meal, Steven set his bowl and fork in the sink. Pearl would wash the dishes in the morning like she always does.

He started his nightly ritual with a long, hot shower and brushed his teeth. He dried himself off and ran a comb through his curly, wet hair. His body slipped into a pair of yellow pajamas, he buttoned up his shirt, and left the bathroom. The lights were turned off and Steven headed for the stairs. His foot touched the first step and he craned his neck to look at his mother's portrait again. With that caring smile on her face, she always seemed to loom over him and his life though she didn't exist anymore. Everyone expect him to be just like her but how could he do that? Steven turned his head away and walked up the stairs. He couldn't keep his eyes on her face.

Steven slipped into his bed, under his blankets, and rested his head against the pillow. Lion climbed up on the bed and got comfortable at the boy's feet. Picking up his phone from the nightstand, he set his alarm to go off at 9 AM. He was going to sleep in a few more hours tomorrow, unless the Gems or Lion woke him up early. Steven flopped his head back on the pillow and stared up at the ceiling.

He spoke as he yawned, "Goodnight Lion." His eyes closed and he exhaled loudly. He hoped that his sleep would let him dream about Lapis again and find a way to save her. The boy soon found his body growing heavier in his bed and, before his knew it, he fell into a deep slumber.

There was water, dyed a cyan blue and warm all around him. He could breath normally in this strange environment; his small lungs weren't hindered by the pressure of the deep ocean. This place, he had been in this place previously. The was the first place he saw the fusion Malachite at. Steven floated in the water, moving his arms and legs to stay in place, and searched for the giant woman. But she was nowhere to be seen. Steven was confused. Did his gem powers mess up and projected him in the wrong place? He narrowed his eyes in front of him. There was a shadowy mass in the far distance ahead of him. Steven perked up; that had to be Malachite. He swam towards the massive figure as fast as he could. He had to save Lapis from Jasper and make everything right.

Steven panted, letting bubbles expel from his mouth, and he slowed down in his swimming as he was losing energy. She was still so far away. How could he get to her if he tired out so easily?

"Malachite!" Steven called out through the water. His voice was garbled but it still echoed, grabbing the fusion's attention.

The figure turned to face him and began traveling towards Steven. He tried to calm his nerves but his couldn't hide his anxiety. No, she wouldn't attack him. Lapis would protect him from danger. As the shadowy figure drew closer, Steven's heart dropped into his stomach. Malachite wasn't that large in his memory, was she? His eyes widen in fright. No, that couldn't be the violent fusion. Steven turned around ad attempted to swim away quickly but the unknown figure caught up with him. A giant hand descended upon Steven from above and grasped him tightly.

The boy struggled against the large fingers that pinned his arms down and held him in place. He didn't have the strength to break free on his own. The figure brought Steven to its face and opened its eyes suddenly. Its eyes were round and milky white, glowing bright like searchlights, staring down at him with great intensity. Its body was still shrouded in shadows, unable to reveal the creature's identity. What could it be? A corrupted Gem monster? Or some sort of ancient robot made out of Gem technology?

The creature opened its mouth and pulled Steven in close to its gaping maw. _No_, Steven thought, it was going to eat him! He focused his power to summon a bubble to protect him, yet nothing happened. Steven felt useless, as if he was unable to use his gem powers like before. He began to panic, struggling even more, as he passed the creature's teeth. It brought its teeth down on the boy's body, cutting through him effortlessly.


End file.
